Top Court To Hear Toronto Riding Election Case In July

CBC

Posted:
06/14/2012 10:43 pm EDT
Updated:
08/14/2012 5:12 am EDT

The Supreme Court of Canada plans to hold a one-day hearing July 10 to determine whether a new election should be held in the Toronto-area riding of Etobicoke Centre after an Ontario Superior Court judge found the results of the May 2011 federal election to be null and void. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Sean Kilpatrick) | AP

The Supreme Court of Canada plans to hold a one-day hearing July 10 to determine whether a new election should be held in the Toronto-area riding of Etobicoke Centre after an Ontario Superior Court judge found the results of the May 2011 federal election to be null and void.

The election was won by Conservative Ted Opitz by 26 votes, but his Liberal opponent, Borys Wrzesnewskyj, challenged the results over voting irregularities and managed to have the results tossed.

The judge found there were problems with the way Elections Canada ran the election, Conservative Party spokesman Fred Delorey said after the May 18 ruling. Wrzesnewskyj succeeded in proving that at least 79 votes shouldn't have been counted.

Opitz appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada, which announced on Thursday that it would hold a special summer hearing.

Opitz had asked that the hearing be held in October, while Wrzesnewskyj had sought an earlier date.

On Tuesday, Wrzesnewskyj was nominated, unopposed, to represent the Liberals in Etobicoke Centre when the next federal vote is held in the riding.